Hammer Shanks

[Tim Coates]

Jim Ellis wrote:

Now you are telling me that
octagonal shanks just sound better, and Tim Coates says he has recordings
to prove it.  OK Tim, you're on next.  I proved my point, now you prove
yours.  Tell us how you did it, and how you kept ALL the other variables
EXACTLY the same, so that the ONLY difference was the shape of the shanks.
I'm willing to learn something new, and I'm sure the others are too.

Jim,  

I don't believe I said octagonal shanks sound better.  I said it appears your assumption is that stiffer shanks sound better.  I disagree.  I believe thinned shanks sound better.  

Also, I don't pretend to be a scientist.  I am a piano technician.  I am very serious about that point, as I work with true scientists and we shouldn't pretend we are something we are not. I proved to myself using RCT's Pianalyzer that what I heard could also be detected by an unsophisticated piece of software.  None of my results were intended for the  public, although I shared the results with members of the Wapinlist.  We had this discussion about a year ago.  We have all  moved on and seem to agree about the positive aspects of thinned shanks.    

I tested the difference between a section of bass shanks that started out octagonal (or hexagonal if you want <g>) and then were thinned.  I have developed a method to thin shanks without removing the hammers from the shanks.  The hammers were new, as were the shanks.  About the only variable was the thickness of the shanks.  The hammers were checked for mating to the strings in all testing.  They started out mated and were realigned so as to be mated as they were from the start.  In other words no felt was removed to keep them mated.  Regulation stayed constant.  I am sure someone on this list can find fault with all of this as is the custom .  But you know what?  I could care less.  I could hear the difference (as many others do to).    

Every single note had more strength in the lower partials.  A deeper warmer sound with more power was heard and recorded.  If I wasn't looking for a cheap and dirty way to test this with something besides my ears, I would have used something like Goldwave to record and put the recording into highly sophisticated software for real analyzation.  

I don't know where the information is anymore and it isn't worth my time to dig it up.  All you have to do is take a hammer/shank that fits nicely in a section, pop the hammer, exchange the shank with a thinned treble shank and you will hear for yourself.

Using thinned shanks for all the notes isn't my idea.  I don't take credit for ideas that aren't mine.  But I am very grateful to the people who brought all this to my attention.  Some are on this list and they know who they are. 

Tim Coates
University of South Dakota
University of Sioux Falls